Former NFL star OJ Simpson died on Thursday without having paid much of the $33.5 million awarded by a California civil jury to the bereaved of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman. He never settled that debt and now it could be claimed, although his fortune is an unknown.
Under California law, creditors who have a judgment lien, such as plaintiffs in wrongful death cases, have security for debt repayment. They are in a better position to receive their payment than they were before the defendant's death. The situation promises to be resolved in the coming months but the legal process is already beginning to get underway. The Goldman and Brown families will not be on equal footing with other creditors and will likely have a stronger claim. “We don't know how much OJ has been able to earn in recent years,” said Christopher Melcher, another lawyer who is not involved with the case. ‘I do think he has a lot of money,’ he said.